


Off-Season

by viciouswishes



Category: Ice Princess (2005)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-17
Updated: 2007-02-17
Packaged: 2019-02-15 22:01:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13040322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viciouswishes/pseuds/viciouswishes
Summary: Beta: spartacusjonesFor: marginaliaSetting: Post-movieSummary: For femslash07, the summer's almost ending and things are about to change.





	Off-Season

Casey and Gen. It's been like that for what seems like forever since Casey qualifies again and again for every competition and Gen lugs around a heavy bag filled with community college textbooks. She sits in the stands studying Shakespeare while Casey perfects her triple toe loop. But, it's the off-season that Gen likes best, when Casey's almost all alone in the rink, her glories at Nationals a memory, and Gen can watch her and see the grace that Gen never quite perfected.

In the off-season, even Gen's mom leaves them be. So, when Casey's tired, she can skate over, sit down, and drink from her water-bottle, listening to how Gen's discovered a love for Virginia Woolf and Modernist prose. In turn, Gen listens to Casey's rants on how her mom doesn't want her wearing pink because color doesn't determine aerodynamics.

Once a week, they sneak out to catch a matinee at the local $3 theater. It doesn't matter what the movie is, as long as the popcorn has extra butter, and they can go back for seconds in the middle of it.

Gen leans her head against Casey's shoulder and watches as Brad Pitt kisses his heroine. If Gen just slows down her breathing maybe this time will last forever and next week the ice won't be crowded with the newest batch of kids hoping to make it big and she won't have to sit through 3-hour biology labs while thinking of how Casey's skin smells like strawberries.

"Let's go shopping," Gen says as they exit the movie, arms linked together. "I've been thinking that I need a new pair of sandals."

"You know it's almost fall." Casey looks up at the trees that are tinged with yellow.

"Exactly. Sale."

Gen loves shoes in a way that she never expected. Something about being stuck in the monotony of white skates all her life makes her want to run her hand down spiky heels and over patented leather of real shoes. She's looking for a red pair. One to go with the dress she found last weekend, the one that she wants Casey to see before she buys it. So she pulls herself away from boots and ballet flats and drags Casey by the hand up the escalator.

"I thought we were looking at shoes?"

"Next." Gen grins. "I found a dress and I want your opinion."

"This isn't for the gala, is it?"

The gala's in a week and Casey's mom's already ordered her a new dress. The gala's something of a pat on the back for all the skates in the Northeast who made it to Nationals. Casey doesn't have a date. Once upon a time, she might've taken Teddy. But Gen's brother finally turned in the keys to his Zamboni and headed off to automotive trade school before even taking Casey to the movies once. And Gen takes her every week.

On her weaker days, Gen thinks about kissing Casey, and on her stronger days, she thinks about having that talk with her best friend. The one where she admits that not only does she like girls, but she also really, really likes Casey. Yes, in the make-out-behind-the-bleachers-during-the-end-of-Nikki's-practice-time way.

Gen flushes when Casey leans in to help her with the zipper on the white and red dress. The flowing fabric hits her ankles, and Gen takes a deep breath when Casey steps back.

"You look gorgeous," Casey says. "I bet Mark's going to be drooling over you."

"Mark?" Gen laughs, thinking of the fellow skater in his red, white, and blue spandex. "Hardly. I think he only has eyes for Evan."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously." Gen runs her hands over her waist, smoothing out the dress. "I'm going to need jewelry too."

"Try this." Casey reaches to her own neck and unhooks the silver pendant. Her long fingers work the clasp as she brings it around Gen's neck. Gen finds herself holding her breath again, trying to stretch the minutes. "Are you okay?" Casey asks, her voice low, her face inches from Gen's.

Gen tells herself that she needs to kiss Casey now or maybe they never will. Maybe Mark will turn out to be straight, or bi, and then Gen won't have a chance. And if not Mark, it'll be someone else. Everyone loves the Casey they see spinning on the ice, tall and regal, but Gen, she loves Casey for the way her nose wrinkles when she laughs and how she actually likes Grape-Nuts. So, Gen does it - she throws out logic and admits that today is a weak day - and she kisses Casey. And to her shock, Casey kisses Gen back.

In fact, Casey does more than just kiss her. She wraps her arms around Gen's waist and pulls her closer. The scent of strawberries overwhelms Gen and she can hear her heart thrumming loudly in her ears. Finally, finally, she's kissing Casey, feeling Casey's warm, soft lips.

When they finally break, Gen bites her lip and looks at the floor. She really did it. She really kissed Casey and Casey apparently liked it. Gen lifts her head and looks up at a smiling Casey.

"Well, that couldn't have been as bad as your physics class," Casey teases her. It's the confidence of the woman who skates brilliantly in front of a hundred-plus people.

Gen laughs. "Don't remind me. And you can unzip me because I'm definitely getting this dress."

Casey's hands are on Gen's back again, and Gen leans in with a little more reassurance. "So, this means that you'll be my date to the gala, right?"

"Right." Gen slips off the dress knowing that yes, it's going to be Gen and Casey for a lot longer. That they might not spend every day together doesn't seem to matter as much because there's something in the way that Casey hands Gen her t-shirt that says the rest of the world doesn't matter.


End file.
